Curfew Order Changes & Site

On June 1, 2020, Alameda County announced that an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew will take effect cities in its jurisdiction, which includes Berkeley, Oakland, and Albany. There is no current end date to this curfew. Berkeley has enacted a separate curfew beginning at 9 p.m. and lasting through Friday, June 5. We do not have information on how the conflict in curfews will be handled by Berkeley or Alameda County police forces.

While Berkeley NEED provides a recognized essential service, there is no exception in the curfews for non-government provided services, and both participants and volunteers may risk unwanted police interaction if they are out on the street past 8 p.m.

In an effort to protect participants and volunteers, Berkeley NEED provides the following advice and will be taking the following steps during the time the curfew is in effect:

• Please come early to site if possible so that you are not traveling home after 8 p.m.
• We will operate our normal sites, 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Long Haul, 6-8 p.m. at Hearst and San Pablo, and 6-8 p.m. at Durant and Dana across from the Berkeley Free Clinic. However, for the sites we run until 8 p.m., we will be packed up and ready to leave right at 8 p.m. Please arrive 15 minutes before the end of site to ensure that we can serve you.
• We will have a flyer that you can take with you that explains that you were seeking essential services and are traveling to or from those services. This is not an official document, but it may help with any unwanted police action.

There is an exception to the curfew if you are experiencing homelessness or if you can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the police that you are travelling to work or to home. We do not know what that means in practical terms, but we believe it will mean that folks out past 8 p.m. may be subject to stop and interrogation simply for being present outside. This may result in your name and identification being checked against police databases. Please take steps to prepare yourself and protect yourself if you may be out after 8 p.m. This may include having your ID or other documentation on you with your current address if you have one, having letters from your employers with your typical work schedule on it, and taking a participation card and/or flyer from us when you visit site.

We appreciate and value you all, and we hope that you are remaining safe during these uncertain times.